STEPS TO MAKE HOCKEY A MORE WATCHABLE PRODUCT:
Step 1 (a): Increase the size of the goals to 91 inches wide by 60 inches tall. This increases more goals and makes the goalies actually have a challenge.
Step 1 (b): bring back the goalie pads from the 80's give them a modern touch but same dimensions.
Step 2: Set the rink size to 200 feet by 100 feet.
Step 3: Have a system in place where a referee is graded on every game he is involved in. If the referee scores below a 75 out of 100 he is suspended without pay. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd times are warnings. 4th time is 3 games, 5th is 5 games, 6th is suspended for 3 weeks, and 7th is suspended indefinitely and will be ruled by the commissioner.
Step 4: expand review to allow a call on the ice the is "no goal" to be challenged. This would only be allowed by the coach telling the line judge that he wants to challenge the "no goal" call and must happen within 1 minute after the call was made.
Step 5 (For fun): If there is a fight in the game the winner of the fight which will be judged by the head referee his team is awarded a 2 minute power play. Can only happen on the first fight of the game though.
npalley: Just turned on "Leafs TV". It a cable show that shows Leafs propaganda but don't carry any Leafs games. Right now they have a 1 hour show of game 7 semi final between Leafs and Canadians in 1964.
The ice sure looks bigger. Is it the actual size of the the players, their equipment or maybe the the fact the skating is slower, so defensive players can't converge on players as easily.
To your suggestions Sure would like the goalie equipment smaller. There is absolutely no need to have it so big, goalie safety would not be comprised. Be increasing the height of the net as you suggest, we wouldn't have goalies going till their knees to stop all shots. They would actually have to stand up to protect the upper parts of the net. Or goalies couldn't wear masks. That would cut down on goalies going to their knees. The fear of being hit between the eyes would have them standing up.
Thanks for your suggestions.
As a goalie myself I can't get onboard with the first two suggestions.
1. Bigger nets is stupid - Gretzky scored 894 goals with these nets
2. If you are going to decrease the gear, it better be safe. They have yet to prove they can downsize safely and protect goaltenders.
If the NHL wants to increase scoring it needs to call all the obstruction that happens in the slot. Maybe even make shot-blocking illegal. When you get the best shooters in the world in the slot - they still score plenty. You don't need to make the nets bigger or shrink the goalies drastically.
As a goalie myself I can't get onboard with the first two suggestions.
1. Bigger nets is stupid - Gretzky scored 894 goals with these nets
2. If you are going to decrease the gear, it better be safe. They have yet to prove they can downsize safely and protect goaltenders.
If the NHL wants to increase scoring it needs to call all the obstruction that happens in the slot. Maybe even make shot-blocking illegal. When you get the best shooters in the world in the slot - they still score plenty. You don't need to make the nets bigger or shrink the goalies drastically.
I don't think asking goalies to wear XXL size shirts instead of size XXXXXXXXXXXL is a safety issue. I'm not on board with no goalie masks. But the leg pads, blocker, the glove, those seem like areas that can be shrunk without compromising safety. I know some have talked about removing the between the legs piece that helps block the 5 hole. I'm not going to ask for that as that does seem like a safety issue.
Honestly though before that changes, if the goal is to increase scoring, try having the officials enforce the rules. No more of this clutch and grab style of hockey. Call interference. Call the penalties. Just like the NFL got more scoring by enforcing pass interference, Hockey would get more scoring by calling interference and similar fouls.
Do it consistently. Not for the PPs but because the style of the game would change. Offense would flow as all this clutch and grab garbage died out. Try that before we alert fundamental parts of the game like net and rink size.